The invention relates to a method for adjusting at least one of a plurality of working units of a self-propelled harvesting machine involved in a harvesting process.
Document DE 197 05 841 A1 makes known a method for operating an agricultural harvesting machine, in which a processing step is adjusted automatically depending on a result. For this purpose, feedback control is used to monitor the setting of the working step with respect to crossing over limit values, and a notice is output to an operator if a limit value was crossed over. Moreover, the feedback control is designed to react automatically to the crossing over of a limit value, and to automatically implement appropriate measures which result in the setting for the working step being returned to the range below the limit value.
In order to adjust the setpoint values and the limit values, the method known from DE 197 05 841 A1 accesses information stored in a memory unit, which is selected depending on the kind of crop entered by the operator. This information is used as setpoint values for adjusting a processing step, on the basis of which the setpoint/actual value comparison is carried out, which forms the basis for the feedback control. The actual value is ascertained using appropriate sensors which monitor the processing steps and transmit to an evaluation unit in which the setpoint/actual comparison is carried out.
The method disclosed in DE 197 05 841 A1 makes it possible to relieve the operator of the harvesting machine of the task of making the necessary adjustments to working units to implement the processing steps of the harvesting machine, but the method is dependent on the quality of the specified information for adjusting or selecting a setpoint value of the working units. A reaction to changing conditions, e.g. during an on-going harvesting process or if used on different fields of the same kind of crop, is not provided.
Generic document DE 10 2005 031 426 A1 makes known a method for automatically adjusting operating parameters of an agricultural working machine, according to which a program map is subdivided into a plurality of sub-program maps that are dependent on an operating parameter. One working machine is assigned to each sub-program map, and is operated according to the proposed operating parameter settings which result from the sub-program map. During operation of the working machine, data ascertained by sensors are used to check the working result which is influenced by changes made to the operating parameters, in order to optimize the particular sub-program maps. A limiting aspect of said method is that an optimal operating parameter that is determined is not applied until a trained operator selects it as a setting, or until the currently selected operating parameter is adjusted depending on a certain threshold value, as provided in DE 197 05 841 A1.